Google Pixel Update Causes Battery Drain
Last week, Google released a quarterly feature drop for its Pixel phones, introducing new widgets and home screen customizations among other updates. However, this new update seems to be causing battery drain, connectivity, and overheating issues for some users.
Google Pixel owners took to Reddit and Google’s own support forum over the weekend to discuss how their phone’s battery has been draining faster than usual after the update. In some cases, users reported that their phone’s battery couldn’t last through the day without needing a charge by the afternoon or even requiring multiple charges in a day. Some users also pointed out that their battery life seems to be draining more quickly even when their phone is sitting idle.
This issue appears to be most prominent in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 lines. Phones experiencing the battery drain issue also seem to be running hotter than usual, leading to overheating in some instances. Users also reported sudden and frequent signal drops on their Pixel phones. A recommended workaround, as shared by some Pixel owners, is to restart your phone at least once a day.
Google has yet to formally acknowledge the issues affecting these devices, but it has been noted that the tech giant typically releases new updates around the first Monday of the month, suggesting that a patch could be available soon. it’s important to note that Google’s Pixel smartphones have never been known for their outstanding battery life. For instance, the Pixel 6 Pro’s battery life lasted several hours less than the competition in tests, averaging just under eight hours of juice, while the Pixel 7 Pro’s battery performed better, but not by much, at around nine and a half hours.
The inferior battery performance of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series can be attributed to a couple of factors. Firstly, the tensor chips powering both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series are less power-efficient than those found in top Android smartphones like Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon chips. Secondly, for the high-end Pro models specifically, the bigger and brighter displays have proven to be serious power guzzlers. These factors combined with the latest update may have exacerbated the battery drain issue.
Interestingly, not all Pixel users are facing these problems. Some users have reported that their devices are functioning normally after downloading the June 2023 security patch, with some even saying that their previous battery drain issues have been resolved.
This isn’t the first time Pixel owners have grappled with battery drain and overheating issues. Earlier this year, users of the Pixel 7 and 6 series reported similar problems after downloading the May 2023 update. At that time, a Google spokesperson informed us that the issues were due to a backend change to the Google app, which had unintentional effects on the devices.
These issues are particularly frustrating considering that the patch notes for the June 2023 update highlighted improvements in battery and charging, as well as better thermal performance for the devices.
As we move into July, Pixel users hope that Google will acknowledge these problems and release a fix next month. Historically, Google’s security patches have often been rolled out late, but users are optimistic that the next month’s patch will arrive sooner. The June 2023 patch was two weeks late, while another patch for the Pixel 6 series was also delayed in March.
While the Pixel community waits for a fix, it is recommended to keep an eye on the phone’s battery health and restart the device at least once a day to mitigate these issues.
